Wrapped Up
by JenniferLaMontagne
Summary: Jennifer Jareau had always been extremely protective of those she loves. So what does she do when the idyllic world that she created for her child is threatened by the one person who has the power to turn everything upside down?
1. Chapter 1

**Long time, no see!**

**This is set roughly around season eight. Enjoy!**

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><p>"Mom! Where's my hair ribbons, I can't find any of 'um!"<p>

Jennifer Jareau's eyes snapped open and she blinked a couple of times, encouraging the fuzzy image that was her room to stop swimming and snap into focus. She inhaled and shrugged her shoulders slowly, stretching her arms out to relieve all the tension in her muscles that had built up while she had slept. Slowly, she edged to the side of her bed and reached over to see whether her cell phone had any important messages for her, although she knew that if something really urgent had happened, it would have woken her anyway – her phone was never on silent. No missed calls and one text from Hotch wishing her a happy day off. It was so rare that the team got a free day that they all celebrated it as a sort of a bank holiday once it came around.

"_Mom!"_

The small voice rang out again, and JJ stood up, pulling on a slightly oversized jumper before silently moving down the hallway. The early morning light was just about filtering through the light curtains that hung in front of the window at the front of the house, illuminating all the pictures on the walls with an eerie glow. JJ paused outside the doorway from where the yelling voice had originated, smiling briefly at the messy artwork that hung on the wooden panes of the bright pink painted door.

"Yes, baby?" she smiled, resting her head against the oak doorframe.

A pair of round blue eyes stared up at her, joy softening the little girl's facial features. "You're here! I _need_ my ribbons, Mommy, I need them right now!"

The sudden stern expression on her daughter's face made JJ laugh, which she quickly smothered behind her hand. Shaking her head, she stepped over various stuffed animals before she reached a small drawer, hidden just out of sight behind one of the legs of the small girl's bed. Debating whether to choose one ribbon for her daughter, or just to hand her the whole box, JJ decided to compromise and pulled out a whole wad of ribbons in her hand, offering them to the smaller blonde.

Eyeing her mother carefully, the little girl plucked two ribbons from her mother's hand, gesturing to the pigtails that she had attempted to do on either side of her head herself. JJ chucked, throwing the unwanted ribbons back into the box and started to re-do her daughter's hair.

"What have you got in mind for Mommy's day off, Lina?"

Turning to face her mother carefully so as not to mess up her hair, the little girl's eyes began to sparkle with excitement, "I get to choose?"

JJ nodded, fixing the second bow, her hand automatically brushing a stray hair off her child's face. Lina jumped up and down on the spot, absentmindedly chewing on her bottom lip, the way she always did when she was mulling over a very important decision, well, as important as any decision can be when you're five years old.

"The park! The park! The park!" she shrieked, and threw her arms around her mother, _"Pleeeeease?"_

JJ laughed, kneeling back before standing,

"Go get your coat on, and don't forget your boots this time..."

The little girl jumped with glee and raced from the room, giving JJ a full length look at the outfit that the small girl had already dressed herself in. Her favorite pink knitted sweater, and a denim skirt and white tights. Couldn't have done better myself, JJ thought to herself. Picking out fashion items for her daughter had always been a bore to JJ, to preferred to lounge around in jeans and whatever sweater or T-shirt she could find first on her days off. She always dreaded the annual FBI Christmas party where it was black tie was mandatory. It always warranted long hours traipsing around the mall, with Lina skipping behind her, pulling at any dresses that happened to be pink or have any hint of sparkle at all on them.

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><p>Dressing quickly, JJ walked downstairs to join her daughter, who was already standing at their front door, fully covered in her winter coat and little black boots. In her right hand, she was clutching a silver packet of chocolate Pop-Tarts. JJ laughed at her daughter's choice of breakfast, and would usually prefer that something a little more substantial was eaten so early in the morning, but as today was the only day that they had had for the two of them in weeks, she decided to let it slide. Shrugging on her jacket and reaching for her house keys, JJ opened the door to let her daughter out.<p>

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><p>It was a short walk to their local park, and many children seemed to have the same idea Lina did, as JJ could already count at least eight other children already swinging off the many play things that the small park and playground offered. Lina raced off to the swings, begging her mother in backward yells to push her.<p>

Smiling, JJ stepped up behind her daughter and waited till she was seated properly before giving her a small push to start off with. The child's laughter filled JJ's ears and she chuckled alongside.

"Higher! Higher!" Lina pleaded, her long hair whipping around her face. JJ pushed harder, and she watched as her daughter swung her legs out.

"I'm flying Mommy, I'm flying!"

JJ laughed,

"Yes you are! Make sure you keep holding on tight though!"

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><p>A couple of hours later, the two girls made their way back to their house, both slightly damp as it had started to rain, causing them to leave earlier than they would have liked. JJ was still amazed how children could spend hours playing the same apparatuses as they always do, she didn't know how Lina didn't find it boring.<p>

"Straight up to the shower please!" JJ called after her daughter as she raced up the stairs, laughing at the girl's small sigh.

The rest of the day passed pleasantly, they spent it watching Lina's favorite DVDs and munching on countless bowls of popcorn.

Once JJ noticed Lina start to yawn, she scooped the small child up and carried her up stairs, ignoring Lina's feeble protests against going to bed 'so early'. JJ tugged her daughter's clothes off and gently pulled a nightdress over her head before tucking her into bed. As soon as the small head hit the pillow, JJ could tell that it wouldn't be long until her daughter was asleep, so she left the room quietly, leaving the door slightly ajar.

She padded around the kitchen for a while, unpacking and re-loading the dishwasher and wiping down the counter tops until she felt herself becoming achy again and she knew that she needed to get a good sleep in order to function properly back at work tomorrow.

Yawning, she climbed the stairs, pausing momentarily outside Lina's door, watching the slight rise and fall of her daughter's chest as she slept.

As she settled into bed, JJ wished that she had another day off, or at least hoped they didn't have to jet off anywhere the next door. Usually she was home by seven if they didn't have to travel anywhere, and she could still put Lina to bed.

Moving around the bed until she was comfortable, she reached for her phone again, setting her alarm clock for five with a heavy heart - she hated leaving the house if Lina wasn't awake. Quickly, she sent her babysitter a text asking if she could be at the house by a quarter to six, and as she sat waiting for a reply, she quickly flicked through her camera roll, pausing at every now and again to concentrate on her favorite photos of Lina. Suddenly, the loud ping of an incoming text message startled her, and she smiled as she read the text back from Sarah, the woman that had been babysitting Lina since she was just a baby, that said of course she would be there before JJ had to leave.

She could feel her eyelids become heavier and heavier, and she relaxed, falling asleep almost instantly, her phone still in her hand.


	2. Chapter 2

Sighing heavily, JJ flung herself back into her desk chair, staring at the intimidating pile of files glaring at her from her desk. Bracing herself, she grabbed the first file and flipped it open, photographs of various mutilated women flying out. She grimaced as she looked over each of the photos, it was very clear that this killer was escalating, and if they didn't do anything to stop him, it could become quite the massacre.

Looking down for the officer in charge of the case, JJ took his cell phone number and other important case details down in her phone, saving just in case none of the other files she had to look through were any greater cause for concern.

Hours were spent pouring over case files and speaking to many case officers and by six thirty in the evening, JJ had a decision to make. She glanced down at the piece of paper she had written a brief summary of each of the cases presented to her on, the first case she had looked at that day stood out in urgency by a mile.

"That's it then" she murmured, clicking the 'Call' button on her phone.

She managed to catch Hotch just before he was about to leave, quickly filling him on the case's top details and he agreed with her the solving of this case was of upmost importance. He suggested that he let the rest of the team know, saying that they would take off at six the next morning.

JJ smiled and waved as she watched her boss climb into his car, her heart heavy and full of dread at the thought of telling her baby that she wasn't going to be tucking her in at night for a couple of days.

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><p>"But why…" Lina's eyes stared at her, JJ felt as though the small blue orbs were burning right into her very soul.<p>

"Baby," JJ started, brushing hair from her daughter's eyes, "I won't be long, I promise, I'll be home before you know it!"

The judgmental stare she received felt like a stone sinking in her stomach, and the guilt she felt at leaving her daughter overwhelmed her, it was crazy how leaving her for work never got any easier.

"Will you bring me back a present?"

JJ laughed at her child's ulterior motive, "Don't I always?"

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><p>JJ had often wished as a little girl that she could have a job that offered her so many travel opportunities that she would have a hard time choosing which city to visit first. Unfortunately, the BAU never stayed in the city in which their case was taking place in for too long, and JJ felt sorry for that. There was always another case.<p>

As they drove around the streets of Atlanta to the police headquarters, JJ made a few mental notes as they drove past some stores she guessed would stock the right sort of goods that Lina would deem acceptable for her gift.

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><p>"Jennifer Jareau, we spoke on the phone," JJ said briskly, shaking the hand of Detective Watts, the head of the Atlanta City Police Department. He smiled at her, and then at each member of the team in turn.<p>

"Thank y'all for coming down here," he said, his voice booming round the small room, "I wish my second in command was here to welcome you too, but he's been called out on some family business"

"That's quite alright," JJ reassured the man, glancing over his shoulder at the white board that had already been set up in corner. Detective Watts followed her look, and gestured them over to it, "We've set up as much as we could so far, here's the photos that I had sent to Agent Jareau last week, and we haven't really got much else yet..,"

The man seemed to trail off, disappointed, and the team could tell that he hadn't had very much experience in the serial killer field.

"Blake, you and Rossi head over to the first victim's house, we might be able to fight some evidence that the police have missed…Reid, you and Morgan go to the dumping site of all the victims, some clues might still be hanging around. JJ, are you alright to stay here and talk to the families?" Hotch asked, knowing that she would automatically nod her head. "I'm going to head over to the coroner with Detective Watts, if that's alright?" Hotch finished, receiving another nod from the detective.

The team quickly went their separate ways, Hotch shooting JJ a quick "Call me if you need anything" before he left. Rolling her eyes, JJ smiled, the man still didn't trust her enough to feel completely calm leaving her alone.

A couple hours went by quickly, JJ's heart broke every time she had to interview the parents of the victims, knowing that when she asked about their dead child, it was as if she was pouring salt into a gaping wound in their hearts.

Twenty minutes before the others were due back with what they had found, and with the lunch JJ had been eagerly anticipating, she decided that she would give Sarah, her babysitter a ring to see how Lina's day had been.

"Mom?!"

JJ laughed, strolling towards a vacant office in the corner of the room, her back towards the main craziness that was a police headquarters in the midst of a murder investigation.

"Yes baby, were you expecting another call?"

"No, are you coming home soon?"

The question was like a knife in the heart every single time she asked it.

"I'm not quite sure, but Sarah is going to tuck you in tonight, okay? She might even read to you if you're lucky..."

The promise of a story at bedtime catching Lina's attention, she jabbered on to JJ, explaining what exactly she had been doing that day when Sarah had caught her sticking her fingers into the DVD player.

"….And all I meant to do was get Barbie's shoe out…and Sarah said it's broken now and I can't watch my DVD later because it's broken but it isn't Mom, remember we watched movies yesterday?"

Sarah's voice suddenly came down the line, apologizing to JJ as she announced to the child that dinner was ready. With an excited squeal and one last proclamation of love to her mother, Lina ran off to wash her hands.

JJ held friendly conversation with Sarah for a few more minutes, explaining how she wasn't quite sure when she would be home. After being assured for the sixth time that Sarah would stay as long as was needed, JJ hung up the phone, trying to replay her daughter's words over and over in her head. Catching sight of the photo that newly graced her phone's screen as her wallpaper, JJ smiled and gently traced a finger over the small girl's smiling face. She always missed her so desperately when she had to work away.

"Ms. Jareau?"

A voice startled her from her thoughts and she hastily shoved her phone into her blazer pocket, "Actually it's _Agent_ Jar-" she started, whipping around. She could feel her heart start to thud in her chest as soon as she turned around, that aching feeling in her stomach made her feel dizzy and like she was going to throw up all at the same time. She inhaled sharply, her brain completely empty of anything to say.

"Funny seein' you here..," he said, his voice so familiar and yet so strangely foreign to her at the same time. He smirked, his hands sticking out of the front pockets of his suit trousers, the gold badge on his waistband glinting in the Georgia sunlight that was streaming in from the many windows filling the office with light.

JJ swallowed, and blinked, her hand gripping her phone tightly in her pocket.

"Wha-What are you doing here Will?" she gasped, her throat seemed to have suddenly closed up.

The memories of the past flooded her brain and she desperately blinked as she felt tears start to prick at her eyelids, the burning sensation spreading across her face as she tried to frantically to think of any excuse to leave.


End file.
